Business Compendium: How the private sector is building Europe's climate ambition

4 March 2016 – This low carbon Business Compendium demonstrates how the activities of some of the world’s largest companies are contributing to the delivery of a low carbon future. The Compendium compiles examples of the ambitions and achievements that European businesses have made so far in tackling climate change, and aligning their business with a low carbon pathway.

Business compendium

Download the Business Compendium

This report, compiled for the Green Growth Platform by the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) with the support of the Norwegian Government and The Prince of Wales's Corporate Leaders Group (CLG), features business leaders from a wide range of sectors and geographies across the EU.

The case studies demonstrate how the activities of some of the world’s largest companies are contributing to, and benefiting from, the delivery of a low carbon economy. Profiles and examples of activities and climate projects are given for each of the companies featured, including their carbon reduction goals and how these are being met. This Business Compendium follows on five years after the first compendium was published by CISL.

The Norwegian government has supported the development of this report to communicate these examples, which are intended to be useful to the governments, businesses and parliamentarians in the Green Growth Platform, as well as policymakers, business and investors across the EU.

Key learnings

Many of these businesses are clear that a predictable EU policy environment is required to give them the scope for business. Targets and regulation are not seen as the red tape they are sometimes caricatured as, but are seen by business as an important part of the landscape that can help their planning and underpin their innovations.

Companies featured in the report demonstrate that pursuing a low carbon pathway makes business sense. Low carbon ambition has the potential to create competitive advantage, save money, create jobs and make businesses resilient and prepared for changing climatic and business environments. Action and examples such as these will be vital to continue providing political momentum and additional policy insights into 2016, a year of key significance at both EU and international level.